Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

Bridging the gap in our history

My day began Tuesday bright-eyed with students and their fathers at DeSoto Trail Elementary School for a breakfast meeting of the All Pro Dads.

It ended many hours later with an Emancipation Day Celebration presented by the Bethel Empowerment Foundation.

Buy Photo

Bob Gabordi with Eva B. Mannings, the first black staffer at the Tallahassee Democrat and minority editor.(Photo: Bob Gabordi/Democrat)

Somehow, everything in between is more of a blur.

You probably don't know about All Pro Dads. It involves dads, uncles, grandpas and other important male figures in kids' lives showing up. At DeSoto Trail there is a breakfast meeting once a month, with guest speakers (me in this case) and conversation. Here is a link to more on All Pro Dads: http://www.allprodad.com/

I spoke for about 15 minutes about Move.Tallahassee.com and my journey to get healthier, and then came the good part: answering questions from the audience. They were smart, thoughtful questions about my career as a journalist and the people and stories I have done over the years.

Most famous person I've talked to: President Ronald Reagan.

Most famous athlete: Randy Moss.

Biggest local story happening right now: Leon County Schools' construction contracts issues.

Favorite interview: Robert Redford. (Maybe Bob Hope. Close call.)

Afterward, I was "interviewed" by Principal Michele C. Keltner on the student-run, in-house broadcast called WDTS. You can watch it on this link:

I didn't think of it at the time, but starting my day with these children - a group I'll call Generation Next - was the perfect segue to the evening, where I was asked to offer reflections on what Emancipation Day means now.

There, I was surrounded by a roomful of honorees, a group I'll call Generation First. These are people who were the first to break racial barriers.

The first black city manager in Tallahassee: Anita Favors Thompson.

The first black representing Leon County in the state Legislature: Al Lawson.

The first black elected and appointed to the Florida Supreme Court: Joseph Hatchett.

The first black staff member and minority editor at the Tallahassee Democrat: Eva B. Mannings.

Buy Photo

Students and dads during All Pro Dads breakfast at DeSoto Trail Elementary School(Photo: Bob Gabordi/Democrat)

I was struck by the long list of people who went first - people of our time and generation - 149 years after Union Brig. Gen. Edward M. McCook read the Emancipation Proclamation from the steps of his headquarters in Tallahassee.

They are heroes of the civil rights movement, along with people like the late Rev. C.K. Steele, whose son the Rev. Henry Steele was there to represent him, and they stand on the shoulders of those who battled for civil rights and freedom in the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

Soon, they will hand off the mantle to Generation Next to continue the progression of our nation and people.

But there is work yet to be done, work such as closing the gap on horrific infant mortality rates, ensuring equal access to quality food sources, improving access to health care and fixing the perception that there is not equal treatment in the criminal justice system.

In truth, despite all that is left to do, the children I spoke with in the morning probably cannot even imagine the America that I grew up in, let alone the America of a generation earlier.

We took far too long as a nation and community to sit together as one people on buses and at restaurant counters. Too long to play professional sports together. Too long to play "Hail to the Chief" to an elected – I will would say more importantly re-elected – president of the United States who is black.

Too long or not, that we have done all this and provided better access to voting, fairer treatment on housing and improved educational and career opportunities, is worth celebrating.

The question is only how long will it be before we can end remaining divisions - political, social, economic and cultural - and truly become one people and one nation. Or will that be another task we hand off to my young elementary school friends to resolve?